Ireland look to thwart Afghanistan juggernaut

Overview

Afghanistan v Ireland
3rd ODI
Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Dehradun
Tuesday, 5 March, 1:00pm local time, 7:30am GMT

Afghanistan won the first ODI of the five-match series by five wickets, and the second ODI was washed off on Saturday. They will go into the third game with a chance to extend their lead to an unassailable 2-0.

Hazratullah Zazai has been dynamic at the top of the order, amassing 296 runs in five innings across formats against Ireland. He has helped Afghanistan get off to brisk starts, and has been the key to their supreme batting form recently.

That said, it's their spin trio of Mohammad Nabi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Rashid Khan who are key going into the third ODI. Ireland need to find a way to score against them in the middle overs.

They have failed to secure a victory on the tour so far, but that doesn't mean they haven't competed. They have matched Afghanistan toe-to-toe in almost every game – apart from that record-breaking 2nd T20I – but have fallen short in crunch situations.

After losing the first ODI, they seemed to be making a fine comeback with the ball in the second, reducing Afghanistan from 179/2 to 234/7, when rain played spoilsport.

They will take confidence from that fightback, though. A clinical performance with the ball should do it for them on Tuesday, especially if Paul Stirling, Kevin O'Brien and William Porterfield, the skipper, come good on their batting might.

Key players

**Rashid Khan (Afghanistan):**Khan, No.1 on the MRF Tyres ICC ODI Player Rankings for all-rounders, is Afghanistan's biggest match-winner in white-ball cricket. He is an asset with the bat in the lower order, apart from being irresistible with the ball, and he looked in good nick in the second ODI before rain intervened.

**Kevin O'Brien (Ireland):**O'Brien, who turned 35 on Monday, is the mainstay of the Irish batting line-up. He scored a 47-ball 74 in the final T20I and has looked in good touch recently. With 3182 runs and 112 wickets, he is Ireland's most prolific all-rounder in 50-over cricket.

Conditions

The forecast is for clear skies on Tuesday. The surface in Dehradun provides assistance to the spinners, but has also aided batsmen once they get their eye in.

Squads

**Afghanistan:**Asghar Afghan(c), Mohammad Shahzad, Noor Ali Zadran, Javed Ahmadi, Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmat Shah, Samiullah Shenwari, Mohammad Nabi, Najibullah Zadran, Ikram Ali Khil, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Rashid Khan, Karim Janat, Gulbadin Naib, Aftab Alam, Dawlat Zadran, Zahir Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Shapoor Zadran, Sayed Shirzad, Fareed Malik

Ireland: William Porterfield(c), Andrew Balbirnie, Peter Chase, James Cameron-Dow, George Dockrell, Andy McBrine, Barry McCarthy, Tim Murtagh, James McCollum, Kevin O Brien, Stuart Poynter, Boyd Rankin, Simi Singh, Paul Stirling, Lorcan Tucker